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Beyond the HeadlinesAuthor: The National News
Dive deeper into the weeks biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world with The Nationals multi-award-winning podcast, Beyond the Headlines winner of two Signal Awards and the New York Festivals Radio and TV Awards. Nuances are often missed in day-to-day headlines. We go Beyond the Headlines by bringing together the voices of experts and those living the news to provide a clearer picture of the regions shifting political and social landscape. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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What options does Iran have as pressure builds at home and abroad?
Episode 473
Thursday, 15 January, 2026
Two weeks of protests in Iran have been met with a regime crackdown that threatens to provoke foreign intervention. What started as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions has spiralled into an uprising across the country, putting the government under immense pressure. US President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran if more protesters were killed, and reassured Iranians that help was “on its way”. Days later he softened his tone, saying that the killing had stopped, leaving plenty of room for doubt over what he does next. Amid the tensions, there have been attempts by the Iranian regime to downplay the protests as riots orchestrated by America and Israel. On the other hand, there have also been efforts to use the unrest as a reason for US military action. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher follows the latest developments in the demonstrations and the arguably opportunistic moves to exploit them. She speaks to The National’s correspondent Lizzie Porter and to Sanam Vakil, Mena director at Chatham House, and asks, what options lie ahead for an Iranian government on the brink?
